BALRAM Singh, who, in 2015 was sentenced to serve 80 years’ imprisonment for the brutal murder of taxi driver, Bhomeshwar Sukhdeo, on Wednesday, had his sentence reduced to 35 years by the Guyana Court of Appeal.

Singh was found guilty by a 12-member jury for the murder of Sukhdeo, who was killed between January 19 and January 27, 2010. He was sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court.

Singh, through his attorney, Nigel Hughes, later appealed the conviction and sentence, arguing that the trial was unfair and that the judge erred in law.

He also argued that the trial judge failed to sufficiently put his defence to the jury.

The appeal was heard by Chancellor (ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud. The state was represented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dionne McCammon.

Justice Cummings-Edwards, while delivering the ruling, noted that the court allowed the appeal in relation to the sentence, but not his conviction.

The court found that the previously imposed sentence was manifestly excessive, taking into consideration the life expectancy as outlined by the United Nations’ sentencing guidelines, and its previous rulings.

As such, the court reduced Singh’s sentence to 35 years.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that the taxi driver was last seen alive on January 19, 2010. Subsequently, a search was launched for him and his car.

On January 27, 2010, his car was found at a vehicle body workshop in Herstelling New Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD). His burnt body was later discovered at Mocha Arcadia Access Road, EBD.